What Happens Now?
by Heian Edenwood
Summary: But I guess that when you're waiting for Death to come and claim you, reality sinks in. That, honestly, you're just human, just like everyone else. You live. You breathe. You laugh. You cry. You bleed. You die. In-Progress :: Death-Fic


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**WHAT HAPPENS NOW?**

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**Disclaimer: **Assassin's Creed and all of its characters are property of UbiSoft. I do not profit from it, apart from getting entertainment from doing my fanfiction and improving on my language and writing skills. Also, all events and characters are purely fictitious and any similarities to people or events in real life are purely coincidental.

**Fandom:** Assassin's Creed

**Author: **Heian Edenwood

**Beta-Reader: **-

**Listening to:** You Belong to Me (Grey Holiday)

**Pairings:** -

**Warnings:** Character death

**Author's Note: **The issue of faith and how an assassin would react to the death of someone close came up when I was chatting with smilebot. Here's my take on it. Hope I do the story, characters and concept justice.

This is a serious one, a change from all the humour and crack I've done for this genre.

Dedicated to smilebot, ScarletCougar, stupidangel and doubleleaf. Also dedicated to God and to all those people in church who've always encouraged me to think, rather than just blindly follow.

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**.:PROLOGUE: LAMENTATIONS:.**

_You live. You breathe. You laugh. You cry. You bleed. You **die**._

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It had been an honest mistake. A stupid mistake that only novice would have made. I shouldn't have let my guard down. I shouldn't have let that guard get behind me. I should have been more aware of my surroundings. I shouldn't have let over-confidence override rationality.

But I guess that when you're waiting for Death to come and claim you, reality finally sinks in. You realise that, in spite of rumours and hearsay of people, after everything, you're not so invicible or untouchable after all. That, you're not some demi-god; you're not a deadly shadow or immortal wraith; you're not some messenger of death from God or the gods. That, honestly, you're just human, just like everyone else.

You live. You breathe. You laugh. You cry. You bleed. You **die**.

And right now, I'm feeling so very human. I can feel everything within me slowly failing, slowly dying.

That fear of Death never really goes, even if you've faced it thousands of times in all the missions assigned. And you know what's more frightening than dying? It's the _wait_.

_It's the wait._ Knowing that your time is finally up and it's only a matter of _when_, when those cold hands will sweep in every so secretly and silently and steal your very last breath away.

It's not just fear for myself. I fear for him as well, my brother. That oaf.

He acts so strong and stoic but I know he's bleeding on the inside. Everyday I see him rushing about, silent as a shadow, doing whatever pompous Grand Masters do. Then, in the dark of the night, when he thinks I'm fast asleep, he slips in to check on me. And sometimes, when it appears that no one's around to witness the lapse in his stoicness, I swear I can feel the despair and uncertainty rolling off him.

We've grown to be close and honestly, it's as if we only have each other left. If one goes, the other will be alone till it's his time to go. And I hate to abandon my brothers.

You know how they always say that death is but a transition between life and what comes after? Here begs the question: What is faith? What is belief? What makes them believe that there could be the possbility of something greater beyond?

These questions - so easily avoided when you're well and alive and pursuing targets, templars or the pieces of Eden. But now that I can't do anything more about that, I have all the remaining time left to ponder over these questions. And I'm nowhere near figuring them out.

We all say that there's no such thing as a god or God. That those are just figments of illusions and lies created by the pieces of Eden. But when you're faced with the prospect of Death - Nothingness is frightening.

And then you finally realize and appreciate how bright and warm the sun is. Or how refreshing a midday wind by the oasis is. And has the laughter of children ever sounded so wonderful, innocent and alive? It's hard to believe that there's absolutely _nothing _out there that created all these. That all these end in Nothingness.

And as I gaze out past the cliffs of Myasyaf, I wonder: If I'm to go anywhere, will Kadar be there?

Or am I to be damned for all the lives I have taken?

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To be continued. :) This was just a little chapter of Malik's thoughts to introduce the story. Please review.

I would most definitely appreciate CONSTRUCTIVE reviews and criticism that go beyond "OMG! Please update!" (Though those are nice.)


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